Lou Williams has been cleared for full-contact practice and his return to the Hawks lineup could come soon.

A day after Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer acknowledged that Williams has participated in full-contact drills, he said Williams has been medically cleared and is now getting in game shape. The veteran guard is rehabbing from a torn right ACL suffered in January.

“He is basically competing full-go now,” Budenholzer said Wednesday morning before the Hawks took on the Knicks. “I guess, in that sense, you could say he’s been cleared. He is doing everything. It’s now getting game-ready or game-comfortable. He’s played five-on-five. He is basically cleared to do everything. We’ll get him to where he feels comfortable playing in a game.”

Budenholzer would not speculate when Williams may play his first game since the season-ending injury.